May 7th

Javan cannot determine anything in particular, even if he decides to enter the facility instead of standing outside.

Sethos replies to Higaide that he has no idea. He's not exactly involved in plantation work after all, he just knows what anyone else staying around the area knows. He also at about this point in time is starting to grow suspicious of the party, and asks if they're involved with the Traditionalists or something.

"Who?"

The question is genuine, and Higaide is by now used to having his motives questioned. Regardless of Sethos' answer, he'll follow up.

"We came all the way out here because humans were being carted off Aluvia by the shipload, and the circumstances surrounding it were suspicious. Also, our own people; refugees the exchange sheltered. A woman named Jenna was in charge of them, and a friend of mine named Jonathan asked me to come with them, but Holtburg was in a crisis at the time and by the time we got it sorted out, they were all gone. Now you're telling me they're being shipped off somewhere out of contact by vessels you can't identify, never to be heard of again. That alone would be enough to make me jump, and then there's our history of being led by the nose and manipulated wherever we go, because we missed or overlooked something we should have otherwise been suspicious of. I think you can understand why i'm paranoid, Sethos."

Sethos patiently explains the 'civil war' going on right now in the Sho territories between the Alterationists, which Sethos supports, and the Traditionalists, who want nothing to change. Regardless, Sethos understands why the party is so suspicious, but he doesn't really see anything particularly suspicious going on. The Humans get a nice place to live and the Alterationists get the support needed to really make a push to change the Sho for the better.

"Well, for what it's worth, i hope you succeed, but i have to at least contact my people and make sure they're alright."

He takes one last look around, frustrated to have come up empty on such a suspicious building despite his gut telling him it feels very much off.

Javan, despite being weakened in there, also decides takes a good look at the fortifications of the building itself, see if he can make something out of it.

After focusing on the walls near the entrance and looking at them closely, he reached the conclusion that this place was well made, exceptionally so. Considering the kind of effort put into the construction, a lot of money must have been thrown into this building, and is less functional, more decorative. Considering again that this is Sho, whoever owns it gained extra prestige from this due to it since it is objectively impressive. The dragoon relays these finding to the rest of the party.

Sethos tries to calm Rory down, but ultimately he's at a loss for what to do going forward. He's out of the loop on this whole thing, as all of his time has been eaten up trying to support the Alterationists.

Higaide sighs.

"He's been like that ever since we left Holtburg. It's been a pain to deal with, but i can't say he's wrong. I'm not about to speculate on what they could possibly want our people for, but too much doesn't add up. Our people are broken and aimless, easy to be herded wherever you'd take them. Doesn't matter if you never hear from them again, nobody's gonna care. They're probably the single easiest people to take advantage of right now in the whole continent. And if we don't step up, nobody's gonna do it, until maybe ten years from now when some guys are hanging around the water cooler talking, and one asks the other about that funny race that showed up sometime in the past and was never heard from again."

He takes a pause, for timing and emphasis. Then asks in earnest.

"So i need to know, Sethos. Do you know who the actual person running this mass relocation is?"

Sethos pauses, considers for a long minute, then asks if Higaide wouldn't mind talking to him in private.

Higaide nods. He'll follow Sethos.

"Seriously? Why, is it my dad?" Rory scoffs. He casts a very disapproving look toward Sethos as they retreat to some corner. Has he only forgotten everything we learned on Aphus Lassel? But in the short break that they have trying to get their bearings, he has recovered the presence of mind to acknowledge that beyond the extra manpower, he needs Higaide to talk to people for him.

[You should add a little "so here's what happened" regarding the Vyeotians, K. How they almost killed my family, and Kolson's. It would help Sethos become more sympathetic about why we might be on edge.]

After talking to Sethos, Higaide returns to Rory and Javan. He speaks in a low voice, and... rather hoarse, as if bitter.

"Sethos will try and contact the person who runs the plantation here."

Rory's eyes widen. "Well did he tell you anything about this plantation owner, any clues? Cuz if they get an inkling of what's happening, they'll send people here for damage control, and I want to be able to walk away from this knowing more than we did coming in."

Higaide's eyes sharpen, and they kinda stare at Rory for a second before replying "No."

Sethos, acting somewhat distant now, motions for the trio to head over with him towards one of the side buildings several hundred feet away. The building itself is rather unassuming, looking like one of the housing areas for workers and servitors.

Higaide will go along.

Rory chooses to follow, for now. But tension starts to rise between the two humans. "Higaide, I brought you with me because I need your help and because I trust you. I need you to tell me right now that you have my back."

Awareness vs Sethos, +2
Watching him. "Distant" is not the word I'd like to use to describe my allies right now.

Sense Motive vs Sethos, +4
Any ill intentions toward us, or a desire to extricate himself from the situation and throw us to the wolves?

Whilest Javan decides his actions, Rory notices Sethos looks noticeably nervous being in proximity to the Humans. His nervousness is physically apparent, but Rory can't get more of a feel on him.

With a voice made of ice, he retorts "Or you'll go into another rampage?"

Rory's reaction boils beneath the surface. "You can at least say why we're not being told. In spite of, 'everything', I need to know that we can still work together, and withholding vital information from the rest of us isn't reassuring me."

Higaide takes a step forward, and looks him dead in the eye, and lets it linger for a second before speaking up "I'm not withholding anything. Everything he told me, you already know."

Rory holds the eye contact for a moment. "Thanks."

He matches pace with Sethos to speak to him. "Everything all right? We're just going to meet your boss, right? So we can put this whole thing to bed."

Deception
Mask Rory's doubt/suspicious attitude

Sethos pauses to turn and look at Rory, eyes exceptionally suspicious. "Why so antagonistic, 'Rory'?"

Could he conceal his own doubt? Best continue and hope I can keep up this ruse, he thinks. "You know why. I told you minutes ago. I told the other humans back there and they didn't believe me. Didn't have much luck with a different group before them. Well, worse luck really."

"So many of us have been herded over here, to disappear from the public. Something terrible could very easily befall them, and everyone I've spoken to about it either isn't fazed or doesn't believe me. How many Burun disappearing in a foreign land does it take before you get anxious enough to do something about it?"

Diplomacy
Can't I change your mind about me? Or at least get some damn sympathy?

Sethos, visibly failing to conceal his anger, snaps and asks if violently assaulting the very people he claims to care so much about is his idea of 'doing something about it'.